Seated TCC: Less is More, So Much More

Like many, when I first learned T’ai Chi Chih as a younger person, I thought of the seated practice as something I might do if and when I got old and weak, injured, or needed to demonstrate it to a student who needed the modification. I thought of it as a modification of the REAL practice and not something that might benefit me.

Then I got a glimpse of its power and was able to appreciate it as a form that offered its own gifts and treasures.

Toward the end of his life, Justin was practicing TCC seated. When I visited him, he would sometimes want me to practice standing so he could evaluate my form and offer instruction. But sometimes he would invite me to sit facing him, both of us in chairs, and we would practice together. I got to observe, up close, what he had always told us — it’s all in the wrists! Well, not quite all; there is the tan t’ien too.

He often admonished us — “Stop waving your arms around! Soften your wrists!” Doing the seated practice with him, I finally got it. The arm movements were mostly done with the wrists and were done smaller and more slowly, and in time with the yin and yang flow of the tan t’ien. The energy I felt in my hands and fingers was exhilarating. His eyes twinkled as he observed my discovery, finally, of what he had been telling me for years!

What about the tan t’ien in the seated practice? Since Justin introduced me to the seated practice, I have had occasion to need it. Several students over the years who needed or wanted to learn the seated practice, called on me to figure out modifications by practicing it myself. I also suffered an injury that had me on crutches for two months. During that time, I taught all my classes while seated. I gave the students the option of practicing standing or seated. Some took the opportunity to learn the seated practice even though they could stand. All expressed astonishment regarding how strongly they felt the energy flow and how much more aware of the tan t’ien they became.

Two current students practice seated. One is an is an energetic eighty-year-old who uses a walker. The other is in her early 40s and appears youthful but suffers from a mysterious chronic illness that sometimes leaves her weak and exhausted. Here is what I have learned from working with them.

Have a sturdy chair without arms and sit on the forward edge of the chair. This allows the hips to gently rock forward and back from the tan t’ien. If a person needs back support put a firm pillow behind them. If the chair is too hard, a thin, firm cushion or a folded yoga mat may help (but nothing mushy).

After trying different foot movements, all of us prefer to keep our feet flat on the ground. For the forward and back movements, we place one foot slightly forward of the other to indicate which side we are on, i.e., which way to go with the arms. We find moving the heels and toes a distraction (even in Rocking Motion and Joyous Breath). Better to focus on the movement of the tan t’ien, the connection between the tan t’ien and the hands, and ground through the feet throughout.

In the circular movements, keep the hands and arms within range of the torso (don’t let them swing too far out to the side). However, in Daughter in the Valley and Daughter on the Mountaintop you may need to modify the shape to let the arms swing a bit out to the side so the hands won’t be obstructed by your lap. Again, it’s all in the wrists — make your circles with loose wrists.

We have adapted Working the Pulley by keeping both hands in front of the torso, not swinging one behind as the other moves forward. If you move the elbows, arms, and wrists in a motion like the moving wheels of an old-fashioned toy choo-choo train, you’ll get the idea. Like Justin showed me, the smaller you make the arm movements the more you’ll feel the concentrated energy in the hands.

Most of these pointers apply equally to the standing practice. Most will benefit from reigning in our arms, loosening our wrists, and focusing on the relationship between the hands and the tan t’ien whether practicing standing or seated.

Teachers must themselves conscientiously practice the seated practice with curiosity and respect if they hope to teach it well. Start practicing now, before you “need” it. Enjoy.